PHOTOS: The World's First Lesbian Cemetery

For women who prefer the company of women — even after death.

BY Alex Panisch

May 06 2014 4:00 AM ET

The world's first lesbian cemetery in Berlin

The Lutheran Georgen Parochial cemetery set aside a formerly abandoned 4,300-square-foot plot for women who prefer the company of women, in both life and death. The 80-vacancy tract, which opened in April, is the brainchild of Safia, a group representing older lesbians, and the Sappho Women’s Housing Foundation, a lesbian-run organization that helps women find housing. They’ve cleared the overgrown, disused space and have promised to maintain the area in exchange for a rent-free 30-year lease — in Germany, graves are customarily leased rather than purchased. Though the groups don’t discriminate against straight women — or men, for that matter — they believe people will respect the initiative’s goal.